Sydney Eastern Metro
The Eastern Metro is a service, that will ply along the stretch of the south coast from Tampines East towards the Puchong area. It will be opened in 27 April 2019. The idea for a metro resurfaced in late 2007, when discussions about an underground 'Anzac Line' took place within the NSW Government. The Government officially announced the Eastern Region Line, to connect areas underserved due to the longer distances. Sydney Metro services are operated by Metro Trains Sydney, a joint venture between MTR Corporation, John Holland Group, and UGL Rail, who will operate and maintain the network under a 15-year contract. The network is fully automated to GoA4 level, and uses CBTC signalling throughout. History Sydney was the first Australian city to realise a fully automated metro system. Plans and projects involving a high speed, rapid transit underground railway in Sydney date at least back to 2008, although an initial proposal was raised as early as 2001. Despite extensive plans for an underground network in the past, disputes over privatisation and funding had hampered government approval, delaying its inception. In spite of that, other rail metro networks encircling the north and the west are also envisaged. Route extensions and a name change to the Sydney Metro soon followed. The first proposals for a metro system in Sydney were put forward in 2001, when Co-ordinator-General of Rail Ron Christie released his "Long-term Strategic Plan for Rail" report, outlining long-term goals for the expansion of the rail network. He suggested that a number of "metro" lines—operationally independent from the existing network—should be constructed past 2020 due to capacity constraints. This was later dismissed by the New South Wales Government as only a "shopping list" of potential projects. The idea for a metro resurfaced in late 2007, when discussions about an underground 'Anzac Line' took place within the NSW Government. The line would be similar to the Eastern Region Line before 2007, which connects Tampines East and looping at Jermaine, but did not come to fruition. In early 2008, following the shelving of various heavy rail expansion projects from the 2005 Metropolitan Rail Expansion Programme, the Government officially announced the 37 km (23 mi) North West Metro. Expected to cost $12 billion, it would have linked Rouse Hill in Sydney's north-west with the CBD, with construction starting in 2010 and finishing in 2017. In mid-2012 the newly elected Coalition government announced Sydney's Rail Future and the NSW Transport Masterplan. Under this proposal, the North West Rail Link would be built as a single-deck, privately operated metro connecting to a future second harbour crossing. These plans received criticism on the basis that they might not have the capacity of existing double-deck trains, and concerns over the inability of trains on the existing network to use the new crossing. In 2014 the Government announced the second harbour crossing under the name Sydney Rapid Transit, as part of the 'Rebuilding NSW' infrastructure plan funded through the sale of electricity infrastructure. The new railway would cross Sydney Harbour, tunnel beneath the CBD, and join the Bankstown line which would be converted to metro standards. The system was officially renamed 'Sydney Metro' in June 2015 following the passage of power privatisation bills. Opposing parties warned the government that the sale of the power infrastructure may not provide the capital needed. In July 2018, Sydney Metro was established as a statutory authority, tasked with leading the delivery of the metro system. As of April 2019, Jon Lamonte is the Chief Executive of the agency. Stations (1st Phase) *Tampines East *Tampines Airport *Waterloo *Shaun South *Central *Chertsey *Chatswood University *North Glade *Cherrybrook *Ka Ten *Ka Wen Valley Stations (2nd Phase) *Raymond (Interchange with Line 5) *Port Bay *Chatswood *Chorleywood *Latimer Bay *Neasden *Ka Ten East *Wan Chai *Wang Yong *Puchong East *Puchong North *Clement *St Giles *Stourbridge South *Stourbridge *Cambridge Bay Rolling stock 22 3-car Bombardier Movia trains have been ordered for the network. Each single-decker train will provide two wheelchairs for prams, as well as there will be three doors per side per carriage and no internal doors between the carriages.